Thursday, October 27, 2005

Educating for the Future - Science and Engineering

From National Academies Press, the free online book Rising Above the Gathering Storm:

"We live in a knowledge-intensive world. 'The key strategic resource necessary for prosperity has become knowledge iteself in hte form of educated people and their ideas...' The National Science Board and the Council on Competitiveness have recommended a national effort to increase the numbers of both domestic and international students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics degrees in the United States...There is a concern that, in general, our undergraduates are not keeping up with those in other nations."

Also, the second link is an Op-Ed piece from a daughter of immigrants from India.

"It is a national problem. Indiana University's High School Survey of Student Engagement shows 18 percent of college-track high school students did not take a math course in their last year. By 12th grade, American students are scoring near the bottom of all industrialized nations in math and science. A fifth of college freshmen — our elite and privileged students — take remedial math." She concludes her piece by saying, "My parents didn't come to America to see our generation lose jobs to India."